


His Shadow

by quartzhanzo



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, M/M, Slow Burn, amateur writer, i dont know when, i have a lot planned out i just stink at getting it out, self doubt, there will be more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-22 06:49:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14303178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quartzhanzo/pseuds/quartzhanzo
Summary: Jesse takes a recon assignment in Japan, hoping to redeem himself. Genji asks him to check on his brother. Jesse gets more than he bargained for.





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Thanks for reading if you're actually reading this! I plan for this fic to be pretty long and mostly practice. I haven't written much fiction in a long time so bear with me! Feedback is welcomed!
> 
> Come say hi to me on tumblr! @quartzhanzo

Jesse threw his belongings through the transport door and turned to face his teammates. He stuck out his hand in a little wave at the small group gathered around him to see him off; the small group that he deemed to actually give a damn about him anyway.

From them, approached a shorter silver man, who spoke quietly from behind a visor that covered his face, “Please just let me know if he's alright.” he lowered his voice more, “He's on a path of self-destruction and I-I can't lose him.”

McCree narrowed his eyes, _Wouldn' it be best if it stayed that way?_ He thought, but said, “I'll do my best Genji, I can't guarantee I'll even find 'im, from what I know 'bout 'im. If he doesn't want to be found, he probably won't be.”

Genji tilted his head, “But you're Jesse McCree, America's most wanted, I bet you know a thing or two about hiding.”

Before he could respond Athena interrupted him from the ship, “Time to go Agent McCree. There's limited time for us to land there. If we don't go now we might just have to circle around Japan for a few days until we get another spot.” Jesse felt queasy at the thought, _Damned AI knows I ain't 'bout to let that happen_.

He nodded at Genji and waved at his teammates again and shouted, “Sayanora!” then turned around and boarded the transport.

 

* * *

 

 

The flight to Hanamura was long and uneventful. Jesse spent most of it in and out of sleep, chatting with Athena in between to get updates on their progress. _Why am I doing this to myself?_   He thought everytime they hit some mild turbulence and his stomach flipped. Even questioning himself, he held no doubt. _This mission's a cake walk, and I'll be damned if I let a fucking flight hold me back from gaining their respect_. Each time they hit a small patch of turbulence Athena assured him they would be arriving soon, in one piece. And each time, Jesse scowled in the direction of the closest speaker.

When they finally landed on solid ground, Jesse did everything in his power to not stoop down and give the pavement a _big ol' smooch._ And just a short, much welcomed, cab ride later, he had arrived at his hotel.

Jesse looked out the cab window at the massive structure, he had to press his nose against the glass to see the top. The cab driver glared at the greasy smudge left by his gawking, then turned his cold eyes on Jesse.

“This is the address I gave you?” He asked confused as he tapped a credit card on the cab's reader. The cab driver merely nodded and gave a feeble grunt. Jesse shrugged, grabbed his bags and got out onto the sidewalk looking up at the enormous structure. _This was supposed to be a shit hole._

Jesse pulled out his comm, stuck the earpiece in his ear and rang for Genji.

“Jesse! Everything alright?” Genji's voice said, tinny through the earpiece.

“Uh yeah,” Jesse started, “I thought you said this was the worst hotel for blocks.”

“It _is_!”

“Looks kinda ritzy to me. I'm not sure I'll blend into the shadows.” Jesse replied, eyeing the bright round bulbs surrounding the sign, **_SHIRO HOTEL._**

“If you were expecting graffiti, stained carpets and broken windows you'd have to be on the outskirts of the city.” Genji said, “Anything within several miles of my- of the Castle _is ritzy_.”

Jesse sighed and went to check in, pushing his way through a large gold-coloured revolving door. The lobby was surprisingly small but ornate, the decor was very formal, typical of any modern hotel he'd seen in America, save for a few potted bamboo plants scattered around.

The staff at the front desk spoke fluent English, so he got his key-card pretty quick and some pamphlets on tourist attractions in the area. _And a continental breakfast! Hell yeah_. He thought, eyeing the sign that pointed to the hotel restaurant.

The elevator was what he was dreading since discovering his room to be on the sixteenth floor; Because according to Winston 'It's a safer place to launch recon drones from.'

He got into the elevator and pressed the glossy button with clammy hands, Jesse wasn't a big fan of heights. _Better than flying,_ he thought. He pressed the button to close the doors and held onto the wall as the _cramped metal deathtrap_ lurched upward faster than expected. He was sweating bullets, praying for it to be over soon.

When he finally got to his floor, he make quick work of getting to his room and dumping the stuff from his personal bags on the bed. He rifled through clothes until he pulled out a brown striped sweater, jeans, a scarf, socks and underwear. He found the bathroom and shoved his picks on the counter before stripping down. He kicked his sweaty clothes across the floor into the corner and turned the shower on so the knob rested on the cooler side of the midpoint.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He inspected the bags under his eyes, and the scars littering his body, then he pushed his damp hair off his face. _Could be worse_ , he assured himself. A heavy sigh escaped his lips before he turned and stepped into the shower.

The feeling of the water wicking away the heat and washing the sweat from his skin was refreshing. Jesse stood still under the running water for a while, in a meditative state. He thought about the mission, and Overwatch, and his place in all of it. He knew he had to gain their trust, no matter what Winston said about open arms. He felt the tension when he went to Gibraltar for the recall. He wanted to do good by them, they deserved it. But he knew how they felt about him, their suspicions. He didn't blame them. Blackwatch's all-star outlaw. Reyes' right-hand man. After all that had happened did he even deserve trust? Then he briefly thought of Genji's side-quest, and decided maybe some people trusted him too much. Genji was his best friend, but this was some personal shit.

When the water suddenly turned ice-cold, Jesse snapped out of his thoughts and quickly washed himself with the complimentary soap. He turned the tap off, stepped out, grabbed a too-small towel, and patted himself dry. _I get why this is the worst hotel of the bunch now_. He took another quick look in the mirror, then struggled to get his clothes on his slightly damp skin.

With the scarf wrapped around his neck, his favourite boots on, and his hat plopped on his wet hair, he was ready. He grinned at his reflection, _They can take my serape but they can't take my style_. He tipped his hat at himself; he was ready for a night on the town. Which meant he was gonna go out, get some snacks, and watch the hotel cable til instructed to do otherwise.

 

* * *

 

 

The neighbourhood around the hotel was eerily quiet. Jesse walked through the brisk spring breeze looking at his phone's GPS. He was close to a convenience store, and his stomach growled for snacks. Every so often he'd look around him for signs of life but other than lights in windows, the streets were dead. _It's only seven-thirty, where is everyone?_ He rounded the last corner and the shop he was looking for came into view, the storefront was one large barred window, with various neon signs indicating it was open.

When he entered the store he immediately noticed the shopkeeper's discomfort at his presence. He raised an eyebrow at him, then walked down an aisle lined with brightly packaged candy and chips. He grabbed whatever packages looked the prettiest and went to the next aisle. It had rows of fridges; One side that contained sushi, soups, sandwiches, and some other ready to eat meals. The opposite row had all kinds of drinks. He grabbed a couple sandwiches, chose a few random sports drinks, then made his way to the front counter.

He set everything down gently, the shopkeeper looked nervous. Jesse smiled at him when he heard the total, then pulled out a credit card and tapped it on the reader. _Did I do something to offend him?_ Jesse wondered. He grabbed the bags his purchases had been put into, tipped his hat, and left the store. He was a little on edge, the streets were still quiet and that store had been uncomfortable. He took a deep breath and reminded himself of how trivial it was. To curb his anxiety he focused on the cool air on his face, the crisp air in his lungs, and the sound of his spurs while he walked.

He felt better after a few minutes of walking. Everything was alright, things were different, confusing, but he was a-OK. Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow fly by. He instantly felt a course of adrenaline and he scanned the area. He dropped his bags and reached for Peacekeeper, but he'd left it in his room. He kept looking all around him but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He chalked it up to his exhaustion and jet-lag making him see things, and picked his bags back up and continued back to the hotel.

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of Jesse's evening went according to plan, watch whatever he could find on TV, eat snacks, and wait for Winston's orders. The orders didn't come until he'd eaten all the snacks and was struggling to keep his eyes open. Noting the exhaustion in Jesse's voice, Winston's orders ended up being: “Get some sleep and contact me in the morning.” Music to his ears. Jesse flipped the TV off, pushed the wrappers and his stuff off the bed and passed right out.

 

Sleep came quickly and heavy.

 

It was dreamless and wonderful.

 

Then there were three deafening bangs at the door.


	2. Nearly A Go.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse is itching for the juicier parts of the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Again!
> 
> Here it is, sooner than expected, chapter two!  
> It's a bit longer than the last one but still not terribly long.  
> It's mostly setup and atmosphere development.  
> Also reminding you guys I'm a very amateur writer and this fic is mostly for practice. I hope you enjoy it regardless!  
> Feedback is welcomed and Kudos is appreciated :P
> 
> Come say hey on tumblr! @quartzhanzo

 

 

**BANG.**

 

**BANG.**

 

**BANG.**

 

Jesse was jolted awake, and half off the bed with Peacekeeper in his hand within seconds. He slowly crept towards the door and looked through the eyehole. He could see the fisheye version of a man in hotel uniform, a burgundy vest, and a blazer that had ‘Shiro Hotel’ embroidered on the breast. He opened the door partway, “Can I help you, sir?”

The man briefly sneered at him, “I don’t want any more of this yakuza bullshit staining my hotel.”

“Excuse me?” Jesse was taken aback, if not very confused.

“You heard me.” the man grew visibly uncomfortable, “I can handle the regular stuff, but last time the Shimada brought in a foreigner it…” He trailed off.

Jesse opened the door a little wider, “Listen, I don’t really know what you’re talking about but I don’t got anything to do with any yakuza. I promise.” He winked.

“I’m serious, if you leave now, no further action will be taken. My hotel has protection. They are the best at what they do.”

“Ok, here’s the thing.” Jesse lowered his voice, “I’m honest to god not here for any bullshit. I’m the opposite of the yakuza, if you catch my drift. I’m not here to cause a commotion, I’m here for information. In and out. I promise. If I get what I’m looking for, shit’s only goin’ up for you guys from here on out.”

The man outside his door seemed to think on those words, then sighed softly and nodded. “You may stay, but at the slightest hint of you having brought anything onto the premises and-”

“Hey, I said I promise. And if you have _any_ information you think might be of use to the _good guys,_ you lemme know. Like maybe what happened last time with that _foreigner._ ” Jesse winked again, “If you don’t mind I was having a mighty fine rest in there…”

Jesse was eyed up and down before the man turned and walked away. _The hell was that about?_ He shook his head, shut and bolted the door, then started back to the bed. _I’ll have to get more info on that foreigner._ He reminded himself.

He barely got one knee back on the bed when he spotted movement outside his window, on the building across the street. He rolled over the bed and ducked under the window, peering over the window sill. _Is that a person?_ Jesse could see a faint dark outline moving from rooftop to rooftop towards Shimada Castle. _They’ve gotta be at least fifteen stories up, what the fuck?_ He rushed to grab the case holding one of the surveillance drones he’d brought, and opened it. He took out the drone, placed it on the ledge and opened the window. His eyes went back to the rooftops outside, he couldn’t see whoever or _whatever_ he saw before but he took the handheld controller and paired it to the drone. He set it to maintain altitude and manual direction, then sent it out. It sprang to life and whirred out the window.

Jesse turned his attention to the small screen on the controller and pointed the camera straight down onto the rooftops. He flew the drone to the walls of Shimada Castle, carefully surveying the grainy footage for any movement or heat signatures. He found nothing. He flew the drone back to the hotel, looking just as carefully as before. Still nothing. He maneuvered it back in through the window and put it away.

 _Well, that was fucking weird._ He thought, again dismissing it as exhaustion mixed with some anxiety from the encounter a few moments prior. The bed was calling again, Jesse obliged; He took some aspirin and plopped face-down on the covers.

Thoughts raced through his mind.

_Has the world gone crazy, or have you?_

_Even people that don’t know you don’t like you._

_Overwatch only took you in again because they were desperate after the recall._

_They’ll never_ **_really_ ** _trust you._

_The world’s out to get you, Jesse McCree._

Sleep came slowly this time. What remained of the night produced restless sleep; he drifted between semi-conscious and nightmare. Reality and fear mixed together for the next few hours, but he couldn’t bear to do anything but lie there.

 

* * *

 

Again, Jesse was awoken by unwanted noise, but this time it was his comm ringing brashly at him. He groaned, grabbed it from the nightstand, and flipped it to look at the screen. It was Genji. He thumbed the green phone icon and stuck the comm to his ear.

“H-hey.” He yawned, “Sup Genji?”

“Ohayōgozaimasu, Jesse.”

“What?” McCree cleared the sleep from his throat.

“Good morning dumbass.” Genji chuckled lightly.

“Ah, I getcha. What did ya need?”

“Winston got tired of waiting for you to call, and didn’t want to be the one to feel your morning wrath by waking you.” Genji sounded amused, “So naturally, I got roped into it. He’s sending the details of what he’s gonna have you doing today.”

“Mm, sounds like Winston.” Jesse hummed, “But yeah, anything to keep me busy please this place is getting to me.”

Genji huffed, “What do you mean?”

“Well for starters the few people I did see, seemed to be scared shitless. Of me? Maybe. Of whatever they think the Shimada are up to? Definitely.”

“Hmm.” Genji replied, “What _else_ is new?”

“I got woken up in the middle of the night by the hotel owner I think.” Jesse paused. “He threatened me, I think he thought I was here to do some deal with the Shimada clan or something. He didn’t want it going on in his hotel. Obviously, I assured him I was nothin’ of the sort.”

“He should be used to yakuza dealings happening in that area, probably in his hotel, _daily_.”

“Naw he said the last time they brought in a foreigner, well he didn’t say what happened, but I got a bad feeling about it.” Jesse cleared his throat again, “That’s something worth checking out.”

“A foreigner? I mean, that doesn’t sound _terribly_ outlandish.” Genji paused, “But see what you can find out. For now, focus on the mission. Don’t let all this get in your head, you’re in a rough spot in an unfamiliar country, that’s all.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m trying not to overthink it.” Jesse sighed.

“Anyways, you should have all the stuff from Winston in your inbox now, look it over and call him if you have any questions.”

Jesse debated on telling Genji about the shadows and the person on the roofs, but he dismissed it again.

Genji spoke again, “And the thing with my brother, just, keep an eye out. I don’t think you’ll see him but if you do, don’t approach him just tell me if he seems alright.”

“Ok, Genji. I can’t promise nothin’ but I’ll do what I can.”

They said their goodbyes and Jesse ended the call. He stretched out over the bed and checked his inbox for messages. Sure enough, there it was.

 

 **TO:** **JM3945_45  
****FROM:** **WO3945_01  
****CC:** **GS3945_49**

**Agent McCree,**

**Please spend the daylight hours today scoping out the area around the castle walls. Look for spots close enough for audio surveillance that are out of view. There should be an old digital camera and tourist looking clothes in the supply bag provided. Take photos of potential spots and forward them to me in the evening. That being said, take photos of everything, as to not arouse suspicion. I will call you at 1900 your time. Have photos sent by then and be in your hotel room.**

**If you have any more questions about the area please direct them to Agent Shimada.**

**Good luck,**

**Winston.**

 

Jesse yawned, sat up on the bed, and rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes. He looked at the bag Winston had mentioned, “It’s go-time.”

 

* * *

 

In the daytime, the streets around him were buzzing with life. Everything was filled with colour, he’d blend right in. The aforementioned ‘tourist looking clothes’ consisted of brown cargo shorts, sandals, and the ugliest shirt he’d ever laid eyes on. It was a short sleeved button up, littered with colourful flowers and leaves that absolutely clashed with one another. He was worried about the ensemble based on his findings last night, but today it was like a different planet. _I guess most monsters come out at night._

He cut his way through crowds of tourists, and vendors selling souvenirs and food. Eventually, Jesse happened upon an outdoor cafe across the street from Shimada Castle’s east wall. He took a seat and opened a menu, looking over it to the wall before him. There was a fairly large wooden door towards the left of the wall; The rest was covered with vines and had shrubbery and small trees along the ground in front of it.

Jesse turned grabbed the camera he had hanging from his neck and snapped some photos of the wall, then zoomed in for some close-ups of cover the shrubs might provide. He remembered Winston’s words and started snapping photos of other buildings around him. He was so engrossed that he hardly noticed the server that had approached him until she cleared her throat. He dropped the camera and smiled at her, “Sorry there love, it’s just so pretty here!”

“Would you like to order?” She smiled back at him earnestly.

“I’ll take whatever is the most popular,” He said, closing the menu.

She briefly squinted at him, smile unwavering, and nodded, “Coming right up, sir.”

After she walked away Jesse got the camera in hand again and started taking more snapshots. He went through them every now and then to delete photos that came out blurry, or that had a person walk by at an inopportune moment. He pulled out his comm and started typing a message.

 

 **TO:** **GS3945_49** **,** **WO3945_01  
****FROM:** **JM3945_45**

**Hey boys. Not to jump the gun but I think I found the perfect spot. Coverage from some bushes, and RIGHT against the wall. The street is all tourist stuff and cafes. It’ll be dead come night time.**

**-JM**

 

He hit send, just in time for the server to come back with a _very_ large mug of something hot. There was a cat made out of foam on top, candy sticks, sprinkles _and_ a lit sparkler. Jesse’s face went red. _So much for keepin’ a low profile._ He thought. The server set the concoction in front of him, “Enjoy!” she said cheerily.

“Thank you, miss.” He nodded at her, then looked at the drink, and thought _fuck it,_ as he took a photo. Then it was time to wonder just _how_ he was going to drink it.

 

* * *

 

When seven rolled around, Jesse was back in his hotel room anxiously awaiting Winston’s call, he tossed the comm from hand to hand. He had already transferred all the photos he took to Winston, and preemptively put on his black tactical gear.

The comm finally buzzed to life in his hands and he fumbled to answer it.

“McCree here!”

“Good aftern- well evening Agent McCree.” Winston started, “I looked over the images you sent me, and well, I’m impressed. You have a good eye there. And that beverage was something else!”

“I try my best.”Jesse tried not to sound embarrassed, “So tonight’s the night I get my hands dirty?”

“Well, I guess that depends on your definition of ‘getting your hands dirty’ but yes, reconnaissance will commence tonight.” Winston chuckled, “I’d like you to set up the gear just as I showed you before I left.”

“Sure thing.” _It ain’t a firefight but it’s something._

“Four drones, two patrolling the perimeter, and two for actual intel. Remember to preserve altitude at 30 metres; you will be able to control one manually at a time, the rest will cycle through the entered radius.” Winston paused to take a breath, “Ah yes, the radius! Don’t forget to set the radius or they’ll go right off to Neverland, hah!”

“Yes, _boss._ ” Jesse laughed.

“I have sent you all the details, including what we just went over. Take your time, go over it, and let me know when you’re ready to start. You have a six-hour window from now to familiarize, get in, and get out.” Winston paused briefly, “Any questions?”

“Don’t worry big buy, I know what I’m doing. This is a cakewalk.” Jesse smirked at the comm.

“I don’t doubt that, but I also don’t doubt that it’s been a while since you’ve done anything particularly like  _this._ ”

Jesse huffed, “I’ll call you when I’m set to go.” he ended the call and opened the message from Winston.

_He's right, it's been a while._

_But this mission’s a cakewalk._

_Like riding a bike._

_I never learned to ride a bike._

_Like shooting a gun._

**_Bullseye._ **


	3. Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse finally gets to the important part of the mission. It's not going to be the excitement he's used to, or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Again!
> 
> Here it is! I feel like I've improved already! Maybe. Finally something a little bit exciting!
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading this far! I love you all!
> 
> Feedback is welcomed and kudos is appreciated! :)
> 
> Come see me on tumblr @quartzhanzo

The streets were dark and abandoned again. It was like someone flipped the switch to ‘ghost town’. Jesse was at the east wall of Shimada Castle, nestled among the shrubbery there, as planned. There was light wind blowing and rustling the bushes around him, but otherwise, all was silent. He shoved an earpiece in and called Winston on the comm. He spoke low, “Just setting up now.”

 

Winston replied swiftly, “Ok.”

 

They kept their words short, to the point and otherwise remained relatively silent. Jesse tried to ignore the deep, reverberant breathing in his ear, as he quietly undid the clasps on the plastic cases holding the equipment. He took the four drones out and laid them gently on the pavement outside the bushes, then pulled out a laptop and hooked it up to the drones’ controller. He whispered to Winston again, “Just setting up the radius and altitude now.”

 

Winston murmured a sound of approval. _Does he gotta babysit me on this or does he really have nothing better to do?_ Jesse wondered, _I don’t blame them for not trusting me, but do I have to listen to that breathing the whole damn time?_ He keyed the desired settings into the controller and listened to the drones softly whir to life in unison. “Deploying now.” He pressed a button and three of the drones shot straight up and out of view over the wall. Fingers on the thumbstick-like touchpads, he lifted the fourth off the ground and followed the rest over the wall.

 

Several impressive structures came into view, once the wall was cleared. Jesse didn’t know what to expect, the only thing he could ever see from outside the wall was the castle itself, as its roof reached into the clouds. It was beautiful, even in the nighttime he could tell the trees still bore stunning pink blossoms. Stone lanterns softly lit up pathways. Jesse didn’t particularly envy it, but he could see why people got into this sort of business. Everything looked immaculate, _pristine_ . Something he’d never known, even when _he_ was into shady activities.

 

After a somewhat lengthy look around to get his bearings, and a cough in his ear, Jesse remembered his limited time, and Winston’s limited patience. He finally started to move the drone towards the only structure with light shining out its windows, the castle itself. “I’ve got a visual of the castle,” He said squinting at the screen.

 

“What do you see?” Winston asked, his patience audibly fading.

 

“I’m not quite close enough yet, it’s the only building with lights on inside.”

 

“What about audio?”

 

“Still closing in Winston.” Jesse matched Winston’s tone. _Even Gabe has a longer attention span than him._

 

He brought the drone close to a large window at the front of the Castle, but struggled to find a good angle to look down through it. _If I could just shimmy this thing down_. He without thinking too much, overrode the altitude Winston deemed safe, and slowly brought the drone down inch by inch. He held his breath as if it would help the drone be stealthier than the surveillance drone it was. At last about six feet later, he’d brought it low enough to see down into the main floor. He set the drone to hover there, and adjusted the camera as best as he could.

 

First, he noticed that most of the main floor was a large, mostly empty room with what looked to be a large mural on the back wall. There were a handful of people knelt at the back of the room. Four, he presumed to be the Shimada-gumi, wore suits and had their backs to the mural. And three across from them, wearing anything but business clothes.

 

The one on the left was a woman with a ponytail and dark skin tight clothes covering everything neck down. The one on the right was a smaller woman, with the side of her head shaved. Of the three, she probably had the closest to appropriate clothes for a business transaction, if that’s what this encounter was anyway. And the one in the middle was much larger, he had broad shoulders and was entirely cloaked in fabric darker than Jesse had ever seen. The way the fabric moved and sucked in all light, made Jesse feel nauseous, though he couldn’t figure out why.

 

Whatever was happening down there had the four Shimada-gumi visibly afraid, even from Jesse’s vantage point.   _Who the hell are they?_

 

Jesse spoke to Winston again, “I’ve got a visual in the castle, looks like there’s some sort of _meeting_ happening. Seven people confirmed. Four presumably Shimada-gumi. And three, well, they don’t look like any yakuza to me.”

 

“Not yakuza?” Winston sounded evermore impatient, “Jesse can you _please_ get some audio.”

 

“Not with you breathing in my ear,” Jesse finally snapped, “I’ll call you back.” He ended the call with Winston abruptly and turned up the audio feed from the drone. After several seconds of static and a few adjustments, he began to make out some phrases.

 

“No payment necessary-”

 

“All the information you have will be appreciated-”

 

“It’s a win-win.”

 

It was nearly impossible to tell who was saying what but there were one or two voices with thick accents. And one voice so unnervingly deep and raspy, Jesse was haunted by it.

 

“As long as he’s gone from here-”

  
  
“Oh, he won’t be bugging you again-”

 

“Where he’s going-”

 

Jesse set the controller down and checked the laptop to ensure all feeds were still uploading. _This is fucking weird._ He looked at the time and opened a text document to begin logging his findings. _This is big, it has to be._ He listened to his gut and began to type.

 

Before he could make two keystrokes he felt a hand come from behind to firmly cover his mouth, and an arm wrap tightly around his neck.

 

Unable to yell, he reached up in a desperate attempt to free himself but found he was being quickly dragged backward by the unknown assailant. _Shimada-Gumi? Were they with the strange trio inside?_ He tried to fight it but was easily overpowered. He was dragged about thirty feet, into the shadows, where the attacker stopped and slackened their grip on him. Though mouth still covered, he took the opportunity to sharply inhale through his nose when the pressure lessened on his throat.

 

“Do not yell, do not run, you will regret it.” The attacker ordered, removing his hand from Jesse’s mouth. _Sounds like he could be some Shimada guard, or some other yakuza bastard._ Jesse decided after hearing his voice.

 

He felt something small and sharp press into his back lightly. Jesse finally nodded at the orders. He wanted so badly to fight, planning out every moment to remove himself and draw Peacekeeper, but he didn’t. _It ain’t worth the risk of getting out of hand. Loud. Messy. Overwatch, not Blackwatch. Turn the tables, just like Gabe taught you._ Jesse reminded himself, though his former leader would have undoubtedly, taken the loud and messy route.

 

“Who _are_ you?” The attacker asked. When Jesse didn’t answer at first, he pressed the sharp object harder into his back.

 

“Not one of you dirty yakuza.” Jesse grunted through gritted teeth.

 

“What makes you so sure that’s what I am?” He asked coolly.

 

“Well, then I suppose the real question is who are _you?_ ” Jesse replied, earning another sharp jab in his back. Jesse groaned when he felt the object penetrate his skin.

 

His attacker chuckled lightly in his ear, “It would be in your best interest to reveal your identity, and what your purpose is here.”

 

Jesse sighed, “I ain’t nobody important, I’m just testing out these new drones I got for Christmas. This castle is just so darn beautiful.”

 

The object dug deeper. “Don’t play games with me, _cowboy._ I will kill you right here.”

  
  
“Alright, alright. I’m just here getting some info on yakuza shit. I ain’t here to fight, and I sure as hell ain’t here to die.” Jesse offered, “If you ain’t yakuza, what are you doing here? Whadda you care?”

  
  
“My purpose here does not concern you. You would do well to leave and stay out of my way. You’re toying with something bigger than you could ever comprehend. And you’re not worth the dry cleaning bill.” He removed the object and took his arm from around Jesse’s throat, “Go to your master and tell them the Shimada-gumi won’t be of concern any longer.”

 

Jesse staggered forward and turned to look at his attacker. He had long dark hair tied back neatly, and a clean cut goatee. He was clad in loose black clothing, it reminded Jesse of what Genji had been wearing when he was first found by Overwatch, a dead-man _breathing._

 

_Genji._

 

_Oh shit._

 

He squinted at the man in front of him, “Aw hell.”

 

The man briefly glared at him before saying, “Leave now cowboy, do not come back here.” Then he darted straight up the side of a building and out of view. Jesse was left standing there, jaw hanging open before he got his bearings and started to head back for his gear.

 

_Just like the pictures._

 

_Worse than I thought._

 

_What did I get myself into?_

 

Just as he was approaching the eastern wall, the large door on the left side of it abruptly creaked open. He dove towards his gear and into the cover of bushes, rustling them loudly. Four men in suits emerged from the open door eyes trained in his direction, searching. Jesse held his breath. One of them had a _drone_ under his arm. It looked shot to shit.

 

Jesse looked for a stone to throw, anything to get them to look anywhere but where they were. His search was fruitless. He exhaled slowly, reached for Peacekeeper, and drew it.

  
  
Before he could bring it up to aim, he heard something whistle past his head, then a _thimp._ One of the suits dropped. Another whistle, _thimp._ And another, and another. The drone clattered across the pavement. The other three men dropped. Dead. They all had something sticking out of their foreheads, dead centre. Arrows.

 

Jesse heard _his_ voice behind him, “Leave. Now. Before the rest come.” He turned to look for him, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness laid before him, untouched by streetlights.

 

He stepped out of the bushes and shouted into the black, “I know who you are.”

 

No response.

 

He waited a few moments before he heard distant shouting from somewhere on the other side of the wall. He picked up the controller and hit the ‘return’ command. Just a few seconds passed before three drones whirred into his view from over the wall and landed at his feet. He hastily threw everything into their cases and grabbed it, leaving the fourth drone for dead. He headed blindly into the shadows away from the door, and opposite the direction that his hotel was in.

 

* * *

 

  
Jesse wished he _had_ gotten lost finding his hotel but Athena was just too good at trip planning and had him safe and sound before he’d broken much of a sweat. He wished because never in his career had Jesse heard Genji sound as angry as he did now. He was louder than he ever was when he shared fantasies of revenge on his brother. He cursed more than he ever did during his excruciating recovery. The only anger Jesse had ever experienced from him was rooted in his hatred of his brother, and his betrayal. This anger was new, it was fearsome and terrifying, but it wasn’t out of hatred. Jesse didn’t know what to make of it.

 

He was sitting on the bed in his hotel room and had a white-knuckled grip on the comm, as if it would help calm the words spewing out of it.

 

“I **_FORGAVE_ ** HIM!” came Genji’s yell through the small black box, “I forgave him, and he’d rather **_die_ ** than accept that!”

 

Jesse kept silent, listening attentively as his friend vented. He winced every once and a while when the shouting got louder.

 

“He spends _all_ that time, fucking-” _Did Genji just swear? He hasn’t done that since before the Shambali._ “-just **_years_ ** _,_ going to honor his dead brother, and repent for his sins. And the **_hypocrisy!_ ** Now that his brother isn’t dead he throws that _all_ out the fucking window.”

 

Jesse heard a heavy sigh, and he knew that was his cue. “I know buddy, but we don’t know for sure what he’s doing there.”  


 

Genji’s voice was softer, “I know exactly what he’s doing there and he’s going to get himself _killed_ , Jesse. Please stop him. Please.”

 

Jesse heard what he could only sum up to as a robotic sob coming from the comm. He thought for a few moments, then finally said, “I gotta be careful Genj. Winston would kill _me._ And Overwatch, I gotta show them I’m worth somethin’, that I _care._ I always did, they could never know what it was like. You’re the only one left that does.” He paused again, “I’ll go back there tomorrow night. Maybe I’ll by chance bump into him and, I’ll do what I can.”

 

“Thank you. Just, _thank_ you. If anything goes awry, I’ve got you back.” Genji sounded more himself now, relieved, “I’d be there but, well yeah, Winston would never let that happen after the encounter I had there last time. The way it, _affected_ me. And, hah, _one_ of us has gotta have a good enough reputation to vouch for the other.”

 

That earned a chuckle for Jesse, “You know it, man.”

 

“And please, be careful.” Genji said, sounding more collected now.

 

“Always am.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all chapter 4 has been half done for a long ass time, I promise to get it out as soon as i can just been in a block lately


End file.
